It’s hard to believe, but here we are at the end of July! It seems the month disappeared faster than a toupée in a hurricane. Let’s hope the dog days of summer are leaving with it.
The weather is sweltering, but don’t sweat it. There’s still cool stuff to do. For starters, three art exhibits are underway, two running through Aug. 16 at Urban Arts Space and the other at Kittie’s Highline Art Space in Worthington through the end of August.
Learn about the customs, arts and heritage of the Ghanaian people at the Ohio Ghana Festival, which kicks off its public events with a welcome night on Aug. 1 at Wexner Center for the Arts.
Valley Dale Ballroom’s big band showcase returns for a third year on Aug. 2, offering 11 hours of music by 11 bands for just $10. The same night, Mike Campbell — guitarist for the late Tom Petty, as well as Petty’s writing partner — will play at KEMBA Live!
More music and other happenings are on deck, so crank up the AC until it’s blowing snowballs and read on. To have this list of events delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.
Exhibits explore artists’ cultural ties and identities
Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town St., Suite 130, is hosting two exhibits through Aug. 16 that chronicle the experiences of artists from various cultures.
The multimedia “Fragmented-Recaptured” exhibit showcases works by seven artists whose diasporic experiences are bound by a common yet fractured identity as Kurds.
In “Cartography,” Palestinian, Kashmiri and Afro-Caribbean artists map out their ties with ancestral and migratory lands, giving voice to stories of imperialism and racism, identity and resilience.
Free workshops will be held in conjunction with the exhibits, with RSVP required online.
Urban Arts Space is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is free. (uas.osu.edu/events)
British comic to bring jolly good humor to Columbus
Actor-comedian Jeff Leach has done everything from performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company to hosting teen chat shows. Now, he’s jumping the pond with his stand-up act.
Leach, who voices Jack the Ripper in the English dub of the Netflix anime series “Record of Ragnarok” will perform at 7 p.m. July 31 at Columbus Funny Bone, 145 Easton Town Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
The show is for 21 and older and all guests will need valid ID to enter.
Tickets cost $27, and there is a 12-ticket limit per order. (columbus.funnybone.com)
Ghana festival to showcase heritage, inspire unity
With a theme of “Bridging cultures, celebrating heritage: Our Ghana beyond borders,” Ohio Ghana Festival will kick off with Akwaaba (“Welcome”) Night from 4-7 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St.
The Grand Festival will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 2 at the LICI Community Center, 4300 Kimberly Pkwy., with entertainment by singer Diana Hamilton, DJ Zaga and DJ Morefire.
The festivities will wrap with a thanksgiving service from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Church of Pentecost, Columbus North District, 6200 Cleveland Ave.
Admission is free each day. (ohioghanafest.org)
Big band showcase to swing into Valley Dale Ballroom
The Valley Dale Ballroom, 1590 Sunbury Road, will host its third-annual big band showcase from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug 2. The daylong event will feature 11 central Ohio bands, each playing a 45-minute set.
Hosted by The Rick Brunetto Big Band, the ballroom’s house band, the festival will benefit the newly formed 501(c)3 nonprofit Valley Dale Ballroom Jazz Education Foundation.
Adult beverages, sandwiches and snacks will be available throughout the performances. Seats are first-come, first-served.
Tickets are available at the door for $10 general admission. All students will be admitted for free. (valleydaleballroom.com)
Drum circle to tap into Poindexter Village history
Learn about the rich history of Poindexter Village, Columbus’ first public-housing complex and one of the first in the U.S., at the Ohio History Connection’s annual drum circle.
Taking place from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 2 at the future site of Poindexter Village African American Museum, 290 N. Champion Ave., the free event will include a traditional drum call-and-response, live entertainment, food trucks, drum-making and other activities.
Guests are welcome to bring drums, lawn chairs and coolers. (bit.ly/4fdvIFm)
Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell to rock KEMBA
Mike Campbell, co-founder of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and co-writer of such hits as “Here Comes My Girl,” “You Got Lucky” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” will perform with his band, The Dirty Knobs, at KEMBA Live! on Aug. 2.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for the rain-or-shine show, which also will feature country rockers Blackberry Smoke and singer-songwriter Shannon McNally.
In addition to co-writing hits for Don Henley, Campbell has worked with a long list of artists including The Spinners, Eurythmics, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations and Randy Newman.
See Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
Over the Rhine to mine depths of musical catalog
Over the Rhine, joined by members of self-proclaimed “modern vintage rock ‘n’ roll” band The Newbees, will do a deep dive into the Cincinnati duo’s catalog at 8 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St.
The six-piece outfit will offer an evening of songs from critically acclaimed Over the Rhine albums including “Eve,” “Films for Radio” and “Ohio,” among others.
Ticket prices are $40.93-$49.40. There is an eight-ticket limit per person/household. (capa.com)
Viral violinist to make strings sing at Lincoln Theatre
Demola the Violinist’s blending of classical violin with Afrobeat, hip-hop, reggae, rock, jazz, country and other genres have made him a viral superstar with more than 6 million followers and 100 million views across digital platforms.
The self-taught Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, whose full name is Ademola Daniel Babafemi, will take the stage at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St., at 7 p.m. Aug. 3.
Tickets cost $39.72-$77.02. There is an eight-ticket limit per person/household. (capa.com)
Hilliard library to host young-adult author event
New York Times bestselling authors Margaret Peterson Haddix and Natalie D. Richards will visit the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Hilliard branch, 4500 Hickory Chase Way, for an author talk, book giveaway, signing and meet-and-greet from 5:30-9 p.m. on Aug. 5.
In May, the Ohio-based authors received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America; Haddix for “Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Stolen Key” (Best Juvenile) and Richards for “49 Miles Alone” (Best Young Adult).
Provided by Cover to Cover Children’s Books, both titles will be given away while supplies last. Other books will be available for purchase and signing.
Registration is requested for the free event. (bit.ly/3H2pNWP)
Imagination meets reality in ‘Fauna’ art show
In the exhibition “Disrupted Fauna,” Miriam Chon brings to life creatures that don’t exist but feel entirely possible. Her whimsical sculptures are on display at Kittie’s Highline Art Space, 693 High St., Worthington, through Aug. 31.
Each creation fuses humor, reverence and speculative biology to create what Kittie’s owners dub “a visual celebration of adaptation at its weirdest and most wonderful.”
Kittie’s Highline Art Space is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. (bit.ly/40yOIrN)
Entertainment and Things to Do reporter Belinda M. Paschal can be reached at bpaschal@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: From Ghana to galleries: Top things to do in Columbus and central Ohio
Reporting by Belinda M. Paschal, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
